Collapsing shipping crate



J. w. sHYAFF' COLLAPSING SHIPPING CRATE Filed Nov. 27, 1956 4Sheets-Sheet l inventor Aug. 9, 1938. J, w, sHAFF $126,583

COLLAPS IN G SHIPPING CRATE Filed Nov. 27, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q3 Il'snventor a 0511a g $294M Aug. 9, 1938.

J. W. SHAFF coLLA'PsING SHIPPINGVICRATE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 27,1936 Znwentor Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT or-rrc-E 1Claim.

This invention relates to :a collapsible shipping crate, and has for itsobject, broadly, to provide a crate consisting simply of 'a fiat baseand 'flat swingably connected wings which maybe manufactured at alimited cost, said crate preferably being of elongated rectangular formin plan and elevation, and of such construction that it will adequatelyresist stresses for protecting the contents during shipments, and willbe convenient in use while loading or removing its contents.

The invention includes a crate which, when collapsed, will permit thewings to lie relatively parallel upon the base and parallel with thebase in compact form to occupy a limited space for shipment.

Other objects of advantage will appear in the following description ofthe invention, as claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings wherein,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the base of the crate. Fig. 2 is a transversesection on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section online 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is aview in longitudinal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a planView of a floor or base-plate on a reduced scale.

Fig. 7 is a View showing the top of the crate when the parts are innormal position, the base being omitted.

Fig. 8 is a side View of the crate, and Fig. 9 is an end view of thesame.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the crate in partly foldedposition.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, Iprovide a flat rectangular base I0 consisting of parallelsupporting-strips H and cross-strips l2 secured rigidly to each other attheir intersections |3 by Welding or other suitable means, eachend-portion of each strip being provided with an upwardly projectingspacing-element or ear, these spacing-ears Varying in length orproportions for purposes to be described. The spacing-ears for the endsof the supporting-strips I I are indicated at I4, and they are ofuniform length.

The ears for the cross-strips I2, at one end, are indicated at I5, andthey are of lesser length than the ears I4; and the ears |6 for theopposite ends of the cross-strips l2 are of greater length than the earsM of the strips Numeral N indicates a stabilizing rail of rectangularform in plan, and it is secured by welding or other suitable means tothe upper ends of the spacing-elements or ears l4, I5 and I6.

I provide a pair of end wings 8, these beingof fiat rectangular form andof uniform size, and they are provided at their lower edges with loops 19 for swingable mountings on the rail l1, and

each end wing is also provided at its top with fastening-members 20having the formof hooks, and which project beyond its ends.

I provide a pair of rectangular wings 2| and 2| these being of uniformsize and provided at their lower edges with loops 22 for swingablemountings on the stabilizing rail each side wing being provided with apair of fasteningmembers or outwardly projecting loops 23 adapted to beengaged by the hooks 20 of the end wings |8 after said end wings andsidewings have been swung upwardly to vertical positions; and when thussecured said end wings and side wings will be maintained stationary atright-angles to the base I0.

Numerals 24 indicate a third pair of rectangular wings provided withloops 25 for swingable mountings on the side wings, whereby the wings ofthis third pair may be moved to positions above and parallel with thebase Ill, these wings 24 being provided with fastening-members 26preferably having the form of hooks for engaging the upper parts of theend wings l8.

Among some of the advantages to be derived by use of the invention isthe fact that the crates will be durable in use and will be of compactform for return shipments. They may have any desired size orproportions, and heavy or light material may be used in theirconstruction, depending upon the kinds of products to be shipped. Theymay be produced at a very limited cost for the reason that each crateconsists of simple separable parts, free from complications and may beconveniently assembled.

Numeral 21 indicates a slide door for one of the wings 24, useful whenshipping poultry, and at 28 is indicated a base-plate of card-board orsheet metal to operate as a floor when laid upon the base strip-s H andI2.

When collapsing the crate, the side wing 2| and third wing are firstswung over upon the base I0, and they may lie snugly upon and parallelwith the strips II and i2 for the reason that the pivotal mounting ofsaid wing 2| on the rail is disposed in a plane slightly above thehorizontal plane of the said base-strips. The end wings l8 are thenswung inwardly to lie upon the side wing 2| and a third wing 24 andparallel therewith.

The side wing 2| together with the third Wing attached thereto are thenswung to lie upon the pair of end wings, and the hooks 26 of the thirdwing may then engage the stabilizing-rail at the ends of the base ID formaintaining the crate in compact collapsed condition.

While metallic strands or wire has been shown in the drawings and ispreferred in the construction of the wings, I do not limit myself to thematerial used nor to size or proportion of parts,

It will be noted that the stabilizing rail I1, while of rectangular formin plan, is suitably bent to conform to the elevations or lengths of thespacing-members or ears [4, l5 and I5 upon which said rail is mounted.

As best shown in Fig. '7 of the drawings, the hooks 20, which may engagein the loops 23 of the side wings, prevent collapsing of the crate afterit has been filled with merchandise, and after the crate has beencollapsed, the hooks 26 of a third wing which engage the stabilizingrail at the opposed ends of the base, operate to maintain the crate incompact form for reshipment.

It will be understood that the wings i8, in a certain degree, areelastic and may be sprung inwardly Without injury, to permit the hooksto be released therefrom whenever collapsing of the crate is desired,and as shown in Fig. of the drawings the parts 20 and 23 may beconnected since the parts 20 are of hooked form. When the several Wingsare hooked to each other to form a container for merchandise they willnot become accidentally unhooked for the reason that the wires willresist pressure for bending.

I claim as my invention,

In a collapsible shipping crate, an elongated, rectangular base providedat each edge with upwardly projecting spacing-ears, a rectangular railabove the base carried by the spacing-ears, a pair of side wingsswingably mounted on said rail each wing having a terminal strandprojecting beyond its ends provided with loops, a pair of end wingsswingably mounted on said rail each having a terminal strand projectingbeyond its end provided with hooks for detachable mountings in the loopsof the side wings, and a pair of top wings swingably mounted on the sidewings each having a terminal strand projecting beyond its ends providedwith hooks for detachable mount ings on the end wings, the spacing-earson said rail at one edge of the base being of greater height than theheight of the spacing-ears at the opposed edge thereof to permit saidwings to lie approximately parallel in overlapped relation when moved tocollapsed position.

JOSEPH W. SHAFF.

